The House of Vestal Virgins
by Writin' Dieties
Summary: In ancient Rome there are 6 girls who are known as the Vestal Virgins. Although the many privilages the rules are horrible! The worst rule is no boys or you die. What happens when one falls in love and is sentenced to death? Will the others find love too?
1. Epilogue

_Hey all! This is __Shortly__ along with my co-author Arian This is our first attempt at a story so I hope you like it!_

_Oh and if anyone's interested…Vestal Virgins were once real. They lived in Rome when they still had emperors and whatnot. Google it sometime…it's pretty cool! Girl power rocks!_

_Disclaimers. _WE DO NOT OWN INUYASHA AND CO!!!

**Epilogue **

Yep, we're the beautiful Vestal Virgins…pretty cool, huh? Well, sorta…

See there's 6 of us girls. First there's my 4 best friends, Kagome, Aeriana, Sango, and Aurora. Kagome has mid-back, wavy black hair and brown eyes and is really sweet; always looking out for the rest of us. Aeriana or Ae, as she likes to be called, is a very quiet person and is always optimistic, and really loved to learn. She has long, long, blue hair, unnatural, right? She also has the strangest eyes on record; blue with green and silver specks. Ae is just all around amazing though, she even has strange powers, cool huh? No one has ever seen them though, but she does emit some strange energy. Then there's Sango, who I'd have to say is probably the most rational one out of all of us. She has long, straight black hair and brown eyes. And last is Aurora, or Rory, if you prefer. Rory's something else let me tell ya; she has strong opinions and stands up for what she believes. She loves just being herself even if it means being the biggest fool in the world. Rory has waist long, straight black hair and big, emerald green eyes. And last there's me, Anabella, but just call me Ana. I'm the one that comes up with the brilliant ideas that get us in trouble all the time, you can imagine that Sango and I argue a lot about those ideas, seeing as Sango's a little more realistic then I am. I have waist long, straight silver hair and crystal blue eyes. One thing you should know about me is that I'm really into medical stuff.

To complete the Vestal Virgins, there is one more girl: Cassandra. Kagome, Aurora, Sango, Aeriana, and I don't really get along with her too well, she thinks she's better then us and always seems to have her head stuck up her ass. She as long, curly blonde hair and dark blue eyes.

Oh! Did I mention that we were all 17?

So anyway, there are many cool privileges us Virgins get. For example, we are allowed to handle our own property, engage in legal contracts, vote, and no senator would likely ignore your opinions in matters. Unlike most women we have many advantages and privileges.

We travel around most the time in a carriage type thing, called a _carpentum_, which has two wheels and is covered. The _carpentum_ is pulled by a roman servants called _lictors_. If one should pass under it or touch it, he/she would be put to death.

In various public games, we have special seats in the front, where, in contrast, women are normally neglected to the back seats. We also get to give the thumbs up or down the gladiators! Cool or what? But what's really cool is if we cross a criminal's path on his way to be executed, he/she will be automatically pardoned. In addition we can free slaves on sight. We also get invited to a lot of dinner parties with higher ranked people and are required to attended a lot of public appearances.

And why do we get such special treatments you ask? Because we are the Vestal Virgins: sacred and divine priestesses of the Roman religious system.

And of course if there are great privileges, there are equal downsides, or punishments too, unfortunately… and the number one rule? Absolutely NO boys. None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. When we entered the Vestals, we swore that we would lead a life of chastity and purity for we would be taking care and watching over the goddess Vesta's house, therefore we must stay clean. Defying this would mean death. But if any man insult or seduce us, then they would be sentence to death, so I guess you can say it's both ways; all guys in general are off limits to us, and the 6 of us are out of bounds for men as well. But that little obstacle there still doesn't stop some people from doing it…but I'll get to that later.

Since we are considered sacred and divine-like, the only way we can be killed from breaking the rule without shedding our 'holy' blood and angering the gods is death by burial alive in the 'Evil Fields'. First, the guilty Virgin is tied up, covered, and gagged so that no one can hear her, then put in the back of a wagon and taken through town to the underground chapter prepared for her in the fields. The chamber is a small underground room, 12 feet below, with a small cot and an oil lamp. A ladder is constructed for access. She is untied at the chamber, led down into the cell, and the ladder is removed. A roof is placed over the chamber, and the hole refilled so that it resembles the surrounding area. Nothing is left on the surface to indicate her position or her presence. After a week or so, she would have starved to death. After taking care of the impure Vestal Virgin, her lover is whipped to death. I think the whole things just cruel, and the others agree with me, but what can we do? It's who they've always done it, way before or time even.

One of duty of ours is to perform rituals like presenting offerings to the Goddess in her temple and purifying the shrine each morning with water. We also are put in charge of guarding important state documents, wills, and testaments of important people. In addition we guard sacred objects too. But a very important role we have is to maintain the scared fire inside Vesta's temple, for it symbolized the goddess herself and the Roman state, letting it go out is considered a great offense. The punishment is to be beaten by the _Prontifex Maximus_, who is our keeper and guardian. This scourging is usually done with the offender's clothes off and with a curtain drawn between them and onlookers.

But don't look at us….we didn't ask to be Vestal Virgins, to lead a life like this -- I mean who would want to lead a boring life without guys? Well this is how it went: The _Prontifex Maximus _chooses six young girl candidates between the ages of 6 and 10...us girls were all 10 years old at the time. All of us had to be perfect and have impeccable bodies and minds, and two living parents. Such choosing was considered a top honor for the family to receive. The _Prontifex Maximus _said these words to us: '_I seize you, beloved,' _and thus we were taken from out homes to start our lives as Vestal Virgins.

We were taken to live in the House of Vestal Virgins and were set under the care of our _Prontifex Maximus. _We were also, then and still are, under the protection of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. We serve 25 years total: 5 years as novices, training with the old Virgins, then 15 years as actual Vestal Virgins. And finally, 5 years as supervisors, responsible for training novices. After 25 years of service, we are released and can either return to a normal life and have the right to marry, or to remain a Virgin and keep all the special privileges and the punishments as well.

So you see, we never really chose this, but what women does? It was out destiny and we knew it would be tough but we promised to help each other through it.

And we were right on target: it was tough. It all started with Aurora. The second she laid eyes on Alfonso, we knew she was doomed.

And we were right.

This is our story…

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_Ok, good so far? Piz review and tell us what you think! Next chapter soon!_

_Shortly_

LOOK A Flying Saucer!!! Wait that's just my frisbe……

Arian

Please Review or I, Arian, Will be upset…Yeah I lost it…


	2. Dooms Day

_Here's the next chapter y'all! Lol _

_-shorty_

We are Disclaimers! 

**Chapter 1: Dooms Day **

"Ae, have you seen Kagome?" Ana looked to her blue haired friend that was in front of her for an answer. The wind suddenly picked up slightly, making Ana's hair and golden colored dress sway in the direction of it. Ana held on tighter to the long red cloth around her arms. In fact, that's what all the Vestal Virgins seemed to do as the breeze picked up their golden robes and red shawls, and then died down.

Aeriana turned to look at her white haired friend behind her with curious blue/green eyes. She contemplated for a moment, then shook her head. "Come to think of it, no I haven't."

"I could have swore she was just here a minute ago," Sango turned her long black head of hair around to join the conversation from her place in the line, which was in front of Aeriana.

"Great," Ana smiled teasingly, "guess we gotta go find her."

"I'll come with you," Aeriana offered.

"Then Rory and I got your backs," Sango confirmed then looked to the black haired girl in front of her to see if she heard.

Aurora turned around to look playfully back at her friends with her large green eyes. "Yeah we'll watch Momma Satan and the Bitch while you guys find Kags," she agreed motioning to the _Prontifex Maximus_, who was their guardian and was in front of the line leading the Vestal Virgins, and then she mad a face while next motioning to the last Virgin, Cassandra, who was walking in front of Aurora with her curly blonde head held high.

Aeriana and Ana nodded, then quickly broke off from the line of Vestal Virgins and ducked quietly into the crowd.

Ae and Ana scanned around the busy, and defiantly noisy, Roman Forum looking for their raven haired 'sister', the warm, early evening sun shining down on them.

"There she is." Aeriana nudged Ana once she spotted her as soon as they turned a sharp corner leading to more shops and carts.

Ana looked around to were Aeriana meant and sure enough, there was Kagome leaning over one of the carts to get a better look at something the owner was holding in his hands out to her.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Aeriana asked once next to her.

Kagome immediately whipped her head around to see who said her name. "Oh, hey guys!" she greeted and turned back to the man who was showing her something when she saw it was only her friends. "I'm just looking at this…isn't gorgeous?"

Aeriana and Ana leaned in to look at what the cart owner was holding in his out stretched hand. It was a white pearl necklace.

"Pretty, no? Just like the lovely ladies," the owner complemented. "Would you like to buy it?"

Ana rolled her eyes and looked to Kagome who was eying the necklace adoringly with her big brown eyes. "Yes, very pretty and no we don't want it," she answered for Kagome. "Common, Kags."

Kagome bit her lip, disappointed, but turned around and followed Ana and Aeriana away anyway.

"The _Prontifex Maximus _is going be so mad if she finds out you broke the line to look at jewelry," Aeriana scolded as the girls made their way back to their group.

"I know but I couldn't help it," Kagome admitted, "I just wish we could shop and get what we want and be normal like girls our age."

Finally the girls spotted the Vestal Virgins in their gold robes, red shawls, and shining golden bangles on their upper arms just ahead. As they got closer the girls noticed that the _Prontifex Maximus _had abandoned her place in front of the line to stand in front of Sango and Aurora.

"Where are Lady Aeriana, Lady Anabella, and Lady Kagome?" the girls heard the PM (that stands Prontifex Maximus from now on because I'm getting sick of typing it outasking Aurora and Sango suspiciously as they got closer.

Ana saw Cassandra smirk happily from her place in line.

"I am not sure, ma'am," Aurora was addressing the PM politely with her hands neatly place together in front of her.

Sango added in the same polite position; "They were just here a moment ago…"

"Possibly they got lost in the crowd?" Aurora suggested innocently, with a pleasant smile on her lips.

The PM's sharp eyes darkened and was just about to say something else when Kagome, Aeriana, and Ana appeared before them.

"We are very sorry, ma'am," Aeriana apologized first. The girls bowed to their guardian respectively as Ae said this.

"We got lost in the crowd," Ana answered the unasked question that was sure to come up sooner or later. She snuck a smug look at Aurora who struggled to keep her smile in check.

The PM was speechless for a moment. She whipped the ends of her robes around as she turned and walked to the front of the line again. "Just don't let it happen again."

Once the line started moving again, the five girls burst into quiet giggles.

"That was close," Kagome smiled.

"I think that witch is turning more bitter by the day," Sango replied motioning up toward the PM.

The Vestal Virgin's guardian was an older woman with a head of thick gray hair tied in a massive bun on top of her head and sharp, sunken, dark brown eyes. Her skin was starting to become leathery and every bone in her tall, fragile body seemed to find some way to jut out and stretch her skin. Her cheeks were even sunken in, giving her the image of high, prominent cheek bones. The girls sometimes wondered how she could have been chosen to be a Vestal Virgin in her time; you had to be ridiculous pretty with an impeccable body to be picked. The girls just went on the theory that she was once good looking, since they never dared to ask her, and guessed that years of watching over them and other brats had done something to her.

"That's because she's never had sex before…you know, choosing the whole 'Vestal Virgin' thing for life and all," Aurora answered Sango's comment.

"Lets just hope we don't end up looking like her," Kagome giggled.

"Well, I don't know about you girls, but as soon as I'm free of this, I'm finding the first hot Roman guy I see on the streets and getting laid, before I do end up like her," Ana replied with disgusted look on her face as he glanced at the PM.

"Oh, very nice, Anabella," Aeriana replied, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.

"Well at least we know one of us will succeed the _Prontifex Maximus_," Kagome said, "…Cassandra seems pretty eager."

"No way," Sango disagreed, "why would Cassandra want to end up looking like that? She'd never be able to secretly flirt with guys right under the _Prontifex Maximus's _nose with looks like a dying bird."

"I don't know Sango, she acts just like her…" Aeriana said.

"I think I'm actually going to have to go with Sango on this one, guys…" Ana replied.

"Me too," Aurora added, "10 pieces of gold says old Cassie here finds a guy and does him before Ana does."

"Gee, thanks, Rory." Ana stared at her friend.

"What!? It was a compliment," Aurora answered defensively, wondering what she could have said wrong. "I pretty much just called _Cassandra_ a slut, not _you_."

Aeriana, Sango, and Kagome all rolled their eyes at their friends.

00000

As the girls continued to verbally bash on Cassandra and the PM, the line moved on until they eventually came to a stop at a fish stand.

"Tonight you may choose a fish that we will eat," the PM instructed the girls once they stopped.

Cassandra eyed the many dead fish that were lined up and piled on top of each other on the cart. "Ugh," she complained unlady-like, feeling completely disgusted, "You girls may go ahead and choose one. I believe that I'll pass." The blonde then turned her head away to let the rest of her 'sisters' pick what fish they would eat for dinner. The PM turned with her and pulled her aside to make sure she was alright.

Aurora along with the rest of the girls, all tried hard to stifle their laughter.

"How very gracious of you," Aurora thanked her politely, while behind her back she made a mocking face that was supposed to be identical to the one that Cassandra made when she saw the fish.

The other girls struggled not to let out loud snorts of laughter.

"May I help you, ladies?" a deep, husky sounding voice announced it's self. From behind the cart came a handsome looking guy, probably around 18 or 19 with his shirt off, wiping his hands in it instead. He had shabby dark brown hair that was just long enough to be tied in half a ponytail at the back of his head, with matching brown hairs decorating his chin. The bare olive skin on his chest, arms, and face danced in the sun from sweating in the heat all day.

Fish boy smiled at Aurora first, obviously seeing the goofy face she had just made. Aurora blushed furiously.

"You've come at a good time, there are many good fish today," he addressed them.

"Cute, huh?" Ana gushed quietly to her sisters. Kagome, Sango, and Aeriana all nodded but Aurora didn't seem to make any movements.

"Rory?" Ana asked curiously, looking at her.

But to Aurora, Ana couldn't be heard; she had only eyes for the cute fish owner.

"Oh boy," Ana whispered to the other girls as fish boy and Aurora started to talk about the different kinds of fish that were laid out. "Looks like Rory just might melt."

"I think it's adorable," Aeriana smiled warmly.

"He _is_ cute," Kagome added, "I don't blame her for staring."

"Yeah, but look at her!" Ana protested, "she looks so different then usual, defiantly not like her self."

"This one's was the biggest catch today," the owner was saying to Aurora when the girls stopped whispering to each other. He picked up a very large fish from the pile and held it up to Aurora . It seemed like he only had eyes for her too. "Would you like to touch it?" He held out one of his hands and with other one he held the fish, the muscles in his arms straining against the fish's weight, but he showed no signs of it on his smiling face.

Aurora's eyes widened, "Ah…okay, I guess," she hesitated, as she looked over her shoulder to where the PM was. When she saw that the PM was still tending to Cassandra and wasn't paying any attention to her, she slowly reached out her hand and put it in his, palm facing up. Aurora blushed at the sudden contact, probably the most she'd ever made with a man being a Vestal Virgin and all, as fish boy took her hand and placed it on the fish's scaly body with his hand still over hers.

Aurora giggled at the slimy feeling of the dead creature. The owner's smile widened at her, and his smoky gray eyes brightened.

Ana, Aeriana, Kagome and Sango all glanced at each other worriedly then, each one knowing what the other was thinking.

"Oh no."

00000

Aurora was distant the rest of the night. She seemed to be lost in her own little world. After picking out a fish, going home, doing their evening duties, eating dinner, then getting ready from bed, Aurora still hadn't said barely one word. This was very strange to the other girls who were so used to Aurora's snide remarks and funny, bold comments every 2 seconds. They all had a sneaky suspicion that it had something to do with the fish owner from earlier.

"Rory, are you alright?" Ana asked later that night. She was leaning against Aurora's bedroom entryway in her night robes when she asked her friend this. Said girl was already in her room in her night clothes on her bed laying on her stomach with her head propped up in her hands, her eyes staring straight ahead and her mind somewhere far off.

"What?" Aurora asked after Ana had said something. She had just been shaken from her day dream and looked a little confused.

Ana sighed, stepping into the beautiful room that was identical to hers and the other Vestal Virgins as well. It had stone floors and was decorated with elaborate white and gold hangings and curtains around the walls and windows with a large soft cushion pushed to a corner with many other pillows around it; this was the bed. There were even a few silver vases placed around the room and in corners to give the room a more 'expensive homey' look.

"Your acting really weird," Ana clarified, coming closer to her friend. "And it has something to do with that fish guy, doesn't it?"

Aurora bit her lip but then smiled, "Yeah, I think it does…it think I might be in love, Ana."

Ana stared at her, searching her green eyes for a sign that might confirm that this was a joke. But unfortunately, no such luck. Ana pondered for a minute how serious this could get. After all they weren't allowed to even hang out with the opposite sex, not unless you wanted to die, that is.

"Rory, you've only just met him," Ana tried to reason.

"I know but I feel like there's more," Aurora answered, starting to go back into her far off little place again. "I just got this feeling when I met him, you know?"

Ana stared pleadingly at her friend, trying to show her how serious this could get through her eyes. "Please Aurora. You know what could happen, and you're worrying all of us."

Aurora seemed to leave her own world and come back to earth. Her eyes lost their shiny look and turned soft and apologetic. "Your right. I'm sorry for worrying you guys," she replied, smiling slightly. "Besides, it's only a crush, right?"

00000

Wrong. The next day it only got worse.

The Vestal Virgins had taken another walk through the Roman Forum once again the next day. And, of course, Aurora voted for fish again for dinner, and the PM _did_ say she really liked it…so there they were again…at the same fish stand…the cute fish boy waiting.

Aurora and the fish owner continued to talk and flirt right under the PM's nose. Then, before Ana, Aeriana, Sango and Kagome knew it, they were home again that night and Aurora had just told them that she was meeting fish guy tonight.

"What!" they all screamed in unison from the surprising news. They were all in Aurora's bedroom, surrounding her.

"Do you even know this guy's name?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"It's fish boy," Ana answered for her instead.

Aurora glared at her, "It is not."

"How do you know?" Sango chipped in, "It could be."

"Look, I'll find out tonight, ok?" Aurora growled.

"I don't know…" Ana replied. Sango and Kagome were hesitate as well.

"Oh common guys, leave her alone. She won't get caught and she'll have a great time. Won't you, Rory?" Aeriana smiled, seeing the bright side to this.

Aurora beamed and went to hug the blue haired girl. "You're my favorite, you know that, right?"

Aeriana smiled warmly, "Go have fun."

Ana, Sango, and Kagome all sighed heavily in defeat. Even if Aeriana was on their side, there was no stopping Aurora when she had her mind set anyway.

"Just be careful," Kagome added before Aurora wrapped a cloak around her frame and jumped out a hole in the wall, which was meant to be a window, and snuck off into the night.

00000

_It was dark. Stars shined brightly above. It was clear. Not a cloud in the night sky. There was trees surrounding her. _

_She walked and walked and walked. She walked until she came to a clearing where the ground suddenly dropped off. A cliff. _

_The wind suddenly picked up. She felt her long hair and dress billow around in it. The grass swayed. The trees creaked. _

_And then suddenly, before her eyes, someone appeared on the edge of the cliff. Their features blowing in the wind as well. _

_It was Aurora._

"_Rory?" she called out to the girl, but nothing came from her mouth._

_So instead she watched. She watched as her black haired friend turned, not hearing her, toward the cliff, and looked down._

_Then suddenly, Aurora jumped._

"_Aurora!" she screamed, terrified, as still nothing came from her mouth. She ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down expecting to see water and Aurora's body racing through the air to it. _

_But she didn't._

_She saw her friend but no water. Instead, she saw what looked like a large man-made box at the bottom of the cliff and Aurora still falling for it in slow motion. _

_In the box was furniture; a bed, a table, and a lamp. That's it. _

_She reached out her hand to her friend and called out again but Aurora still didn't hear nor see her. She just kept falling, closer to the box. _

_Suddenly, the furniture in the box turned into fish, angry ones, with sharp teeth, mouths open ready to swallow Aurora as soon as she landed…_

"No!"

0000_0_

Aeriana awoke with a start, eyes wide, sweat traveling in beads down her face and spine. She sat up, trying to calm her pounding heart and heavy breathing.

"_Just a dream," _she told herself firmly.

Aeriana looked around; she was in her own room. She must have went back once Aurora had snuck out, though she didn't really remember moving.

There came a sudden _thud_ from the room next to hers, which was Aurora's room.

"_Rory must be home," _Aeriana thought, laying back down once she started claming down.

But then a sudden thought hit her: what if it wasn't just a dream? Aeriana already knew she had the power to see the future in her dreams sometimes, but what visions consisted of cliff diving, boxes, and cannibal fish? Maybe it meant something though. But what? Aurora was going to be eaten alive by fish? Unlikely.

"_We're not even allowed down by the marina." _

Aeriana sighed, getting in a more comfortable position to fall back asleep. Maybe it _was_ just a dream. A really weird one. She had those sometimes too. "_Ok, so the fish probably stood for the fish boy and I dreamt about it because Aurora likes him, and the reason why the were going to eat her was probably because I feel guilty about letting her go. That's it. End of story. Because she's home now so it doesn't even matter."_

But she did have this weird feeling.

Aeriana fell back asleep with the hope that the dream didn't mean anything.

00000

The next morning all the Vestal Virgins, except Cassandra who had already taken one, were soaking in the humongous tub in the bathroom that they all shared. The bathroom basically consisted of a bunch of mirrors, a couple screens to get changed behind, some large white pillars, and a huge in-ground tub in the middle. Each time the Vestal Virgins took a bath, the tub was filled with steaming, purified water. And every time the PM would lecture them about scrubbing their bodies clean of imperfections and flaws so they could start another day.

It was here in the morning that the girls watched through the thick steam, their green eyed sister dance and skip naked around them happily, as they relaxed in the tub.

"Get into the water," Sango commanded, annoyed, "Your making a complete fool of yourself."

Aurora gave a carefree smile and obeyed…or at least she stopped dancing and skipping or whatever she was doing to turn and look at them with a goofy smile plastered across her lips.

"Did I tell you his name was Alfonso?"

"Yeah, only about 100 times. Get. In. The. Water." Ana ordered.

Aurora gave a happy little shrug and jumped into the tub. Kagome and Aeriana looked at each other, trying hard not to laugh at the whole situation.

"So, did I tell you I'm meeting him again tonight?" Aurora continued, just as excited, and much to Ana and Sango's annoyance.

"You have also managed to tell us that 100 times," Ana grumbled in response.

Aurora suddenly picked up on Ana's sour mood; she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well excuse me for being ecstatic about something for once, Ms. Sourpuss."

Ana snapped her eyes at Aurora. "What? You don't think that it's just a _little_ suspicious?"

"What's suspicious?"

Ana sighed heavily, shaking her head in disbelief. Sango decided to step in and explain for her. "Rory, does he know you're a Vestal Virgin?" she asked.

"Well yeah," Aurora answered, "I told him last night, I had too. But he said he already knew."

"Ok well…what Ana was getting at is, don' t you think it's suspicious that he knows your not allowed to see him or any other man, yet he still asks you?" Sango replied, "You and him both know what the consequences for being caught are."

Kagome suddenly voiced her opinion; "I'm going to have to agree with Sango and Ana on this one…we're just worried about you is all."

Aurora sighed, "I know it may sound ridiculous but I just have this _feeling_…I know he's not the type to deceit me or anything," she replied then hesitated before saying; "I think I'm in love with Alfonso."

Ana, Sango, Kagome and even Aeriana looked blankly at her.

"But how do you _know_…?" Aeriana whispered gently, thinking to herself as well.

Aurora shrugged, "I just got this feeling in the pit of my stomach when I met him…I just _knew_. This feeling is strong, why else would I risk so much.

"How do you know that this feeling's not lust?" Ana asked unbelievably, pounding a first into the water. "Jesus Christ, Aurora, you've only know him a couple days! For all you know it could be…you've never been in love…none of us can. How could we know!?"

"I just know, okay!" Aurora yelled angrily, mad that her friends and especially Ana, weren't being more supportive. "Your just going to have to trust me."

"You understand what's a stake, then?" Sango asked.

Aurora nodded, "I'm willing to risk it, to find out if this feeling is for real." She sighed before looking at Ana and continuing. "You've said it yourself, Ana, 'Our lives are boring, but we need to make the most out of it. What else have we got to live for?' and that's why you go around thinking up reckless stuff and doing them, because you believe there should be something more for us and our lost childhood to this place," Aurora responded. "And I found something, and I'm determined to fight for it."

Ana sighed. "Rory, it's just that I…_we_…are worried about you…"

"You now what I think it is? I think your jealous, Ana. You wish you had somebody to want you, you wish you had something reckless to do, and you can't stand to see me have it. There's no other explanation for why your siding with Sango! Your usually the one wanting to do something stupid while Sango's the one too keep you planted on earth."

Ana looked guilty for a split second but was quickly gone when she narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to argue, but Aurora cut her off. "Look, I don't expect you or anyone else here to understand. You've never had someone you cared for this much," she explained, gentle now. "I'm not trying to sound like a bitch or anything, but it is my life and I am old enough to make decisions for myself; decisions that will determine my future. And if my decisions lead to something disastrous, then so be it. That's were I led myself and I will face the consequences." Aurora then looked Ana and everyone else straight in the eyes. "You guys are my best friends, my sisters, you have to believe me. Be supportive for me."

The girls looked at each other, pondering. Eventually they all nodded their heads in understanding while Aurora beamed at them going back to her perky self once again to Sango and Ana's annoyance.

Aeriana stole a glance at Ana and studied the pursed look on her face; she had a feeling that Ana wasn't going to let up so easily, she was just giving the subject a break…for now.

"So…you gonna tell us about the fish hunk or what?" Kagome asked, happy to liven the mood a little.

Aurora's eyes brightened and her smile widened, happy that Kagome was interested. "Well, you already know his name's Alfonso. He's 19, only two years older them me which is pretty good considering most girls are forced to marry guys three times their age…oh, and his father's a big fisher. Their family makes their money off the fish they catch. His dad owns a fishing boat at the docks and everything," she explained. "Al says he helps his father with the fish and the stand a lot and once he's old enough he'll inherit it and the boat himself."

Kagome, Aeriana, and even Sango, smiled warmly. "He sounds nice," Kagome encouraged. Ana was still being a little stubborn and didn't do or say anything for the matter. She simply pretended to mind her own business and started to wash and scrub her hair.

Aurora nodded to her other friends, ignoring Ana, and added shyly; "He says he hopes one day it'll be ours."

Ana immediately stopped scrubbing to turn and stare. Sango's mouth dropped open while Aeriana and Kagome both blinked a couple times, staring at their friend.

Not surprisingly, Ana was the first to speak her mind on the matter. "Did he just, like, propose to you when he said that?!" She stared unbelievably. "Does he know you still have another 13 years before your free?!"

Aurora looked anywhere but Ana's face. "Yeah, I told him after he said that, but he says he doesn't care. Alfonso says he'll wait for me."

Ana stared blankly at her green eyed friend for a moment longer before hurriedly rinsing her hair out, jumping out of the tub, getting dressed, then leaving, all the while mumbling unlady-like profanities under her breath.

Aurora looked to Sango, Aeriana, and Kagome like nothing had happened, after Ana left, and asked, worriedly, "Do you guys think he's serious though? Do you think he'll wait that long?"

Sango and Kagome looked at each other, not knowing what to say or what advice to give to their friend, while Aeriana looked at Aurora for a moment, searching her eyes, then answered sincerely; "I think he can handle it."

"Do you honestly think that?" Aurora asked, her eyes hopeful.

"If he's good enough for you, hon, I honestly do."

Aurora beamed at her blue haired friend, gratitude toward Aeriana radiating off her in large waves. But then just as her good mood erupted again, it changed serious. "I don't care what Ana thinks…and no offense to you guys, but I honestly don't think you can stop me either. I love Alfonso and I never imagined I could feel like this. I'm not going to let it slip passed me."

Aeriana was happy for her friend, she really was. Yet she couldn't stray from that worried feeling she kept having from that dream.

00000

The rest of the day went like it usually did, except Ana and Aurora weren't talking. It made the day seem a lot quieter for the other girls who were so used to Ana and Aurora laughing together and making fun of the PM or Cassandra every minute of the day. But not today. After what happened that morning, the two girls barley even looked at each other. So the rest of the day went by pretty normal, except for that small factor.

The girls did their duties in goddess Vesta's temple, were invited to a large lunch party from a member of the Roman Council, tidied up and organized the important documents they were in charge of, and finally sat down for dinner at the end of the day.

After a filling dinner of boiled ostrich, stuffed nuts, and berries, the girls finished their evening duties before getting ready for bed…or at least everyone but Aurora got ready for bed; she instead got ready to sneak out again.

When it was time, Aeriana, Kagome, and Sango all went to say goodbye to Aurora and to see her out of her window, while Ana just went stubbornly straight to bed.

Aeriana thought about how strange this whole fighting situation was between Ana and Aurora, as she made her way back to her room. Usually it was Sango who would try to be the realistic one, but never would Sango stoop as low as to ignore Ana when she was upset about something the girl was doing. It seemed like someone had turned the world upside. Ana was being the nagger, and Sango was being supportive. It was strange for Ana to act like this.

"_She must have took what was said this morning to heart," _Aeriana thought as she lay down on her soft bed and covered up, ready to fall asleep. That was the only explanation she could come up with to explain the behavior going around recently.

Aeriana finally drifted off to sleep with a confused and worried headache.

00000

_Her dream was the same. It was dark. She was walking through the woods until she broke free to the same clearing as before. She was staring at the drop off the land made._

_She knew what was coming as the wind picked up. It blew around her hair and dress. The grass swayed. The trees creaked. _

_It was familiar to her eyes when Aurora suddenly appeared before the cliff. It was familiar to her mouth when her voice couldn't be heard. But this time she was not going to let Aurora jump. If she had to, she was going to stop her physically._

_She made her way to her green eyed friend. She was almost there when a sight _not_ familiar to her eyes stared to appear. Slowly, behind Aurora, Alfonso appeared in all his hunky glory, while Aurora seemed oblivious to the whole thing as she looked over the edge of the cliff as before._

_She relaxed. Alfonso would get Aurora not to jump. _

_Just as she was thinking that, Alfonso put his hands on Aurora's shoulders, looking like he was going to turn her around. Instead he shoved her, with all his might over the cliff. _

_She was frozen in shock. Alfonso had not just pushed the women he supposedly loved over a cliff, had he?_

_But suddenly, Alfonso disappeared, just like that. Almost as if he had done what he came to do and now he was done and just left. _

_She came out of her shock to sprint toward the cliff and look over to see Aurora falling into that same box as before. Falling toward the hungry fish._

_Her mind was frantic. And what made everything worse was that she was now hearing voices, and they weren't happy either. _

_They whirled around her, too blurry to make out what they were saying. _

_She put her hands tightly over her ears to block them out. _

"_Ae! Aeriana!"_

00000

"Aeriana!"

Startled, Aeriana sat up in her bed. She opened her once tightly closed eyes to a worried, frantic, and wide eyed Ana.

"Common, get up!" she hissed, urgently.

Aeriana, confused, did what she was told. She quickly wiped away the sweat that had collected on her forehead and got up. Ana was already waiting for her at the entryway to her bedroom. It was then that Aeriana noticed Ana had a long night robe swung messily over her night dress, meaning there were other people here; there were guests.

"Common!" Ana yelled, impatient now.

Aeriana was more confused then ever, she had just awoken from yet another confusing nightmare to see Ana worried and trying to get her to get up and move. Why did they have guests? It was still dark outside, probably really early in the morning, who would come at a time like this. Something had to be going on, or something must have happened while she was asleep, and the look on Ana's face confirmed it.

Aeriana did like Ana had. She grabbed her night robe that was hung up near her bed, and swung it around her body. She followed Ana out of her room.

"What's going on?" Aeriana asked Ana, really confused and worried. Where was everyone else? The halls were empty.

Ana didn't answer, she seemed to be thinking really hard about something, as she led Aeriana down the corridors and through the House of Vestal Virgins, the only sounds were their bare feet padding across the wooden and stone floors.

As they walked Aeriana stared to hear voices coming from the room ahead, the kitchen. As soon as they walked into the entryway and into the kitchen, Aeriana saw where everyone had disappeared to. Everybody was there, discussing something quietly: Sango, Kagome, Cassandra, and even the PM. All the girls were wearing their night clothes with their long robes over them and scared and worried expressions on their faces, while the PM had a pursed look about her face, which didn't help her already pointy features.

It was then that Aeriana noticed something as she looked around, Aurora wasn't there. Her mind started whirling as she put two and two together. She turned to Ana, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and worry, "Aurora…?"

Ana looked to Aeriana, her eyes reflecting what she was feeling. She opened her mouth to answer but the PM answered for her, hearing what Aeriana had been asking.

"Miss Aurora has been tainted with sin," the PM replied firmly, her lips pursed still, "As of now, she is no longer a Vestal Virgin and therefore is no longer your sister."

Aeriana felt hot tears make there way to her eyes as she listened to what the PM was saying. Aurora had been caught…she was going to die…it was all her fault, she should have said something. She dared to open her mouth and asked in a small voice; "Where is she now, ma'am?"

"That is none of your concern, Miss Aeriana. She is being securely kept and will await her sentence for tomorrow."

Everything that Sango and Ana thought would happen, was coming true. "_I should have known better…but I just wanted her to be happy." _

"May we go visit her, ma'am?" Kagome asked quietly, casting her eyes to the ground.

The PM wheeled around and gazed angrily at her. "No you may not!" she shrieked. "Miss Aurora has not been faithful and I will not have you ladies being tainted as well by visiting her."

Sango bit her lower lip. "If I may be so bold is to ask…were is the sinful man being kept?"

The PM looked at Sango suspiciously and said; "Unfortunately, we have not been able to find the man. But we will." The PM then turned on her heels, flipping her long robes around her and walked out of the kitchen with her nose in the air. "Now if you will excuse me, I have the matter of arranging Miss Aurora's burial in the morning. I would strongly suggest that you all head back to your respectable rooms." And then she was gone, leaving the grieving girls to themselves.

Cassandra didn't say anything as she left the tense atmosphere in the kitchen, but she did have a bit of a strained look about her face.

Sango, Kagome, Ana, and Aeriana all looked at each other silently. None of them really knew what the right thing was to say, so they made their way back to the rooms in silence. Kagome didn't go back to her room though, she went straight into Aurora's empty one. The others followed her.

Aurora's room was the same as how she felt it before she snuck out, she must have not even made it back to her room before someone caught her.

Kagome plopped herself down onto the soft empty bed that smelt like Aurora and curled up into a ball. Sango sat down next to her on a pillow, while Aeriana stood her ground near the door, feeling detached, while Ana started pacing the length of the room, deep in thought.

Kagome was the first to break the tense silence around the girls. "We shouldn't have let her go. Despite everything that she said, we should have physically stopped her from going."

Sango shook her head disagreeing, "No, you heard what she said earlier. Aurora knew what the consequences were for getting caught but she was ready to accept it. We have to respect that." Sango sniffed, wiping a lone tear that had escaped from her eyes, "But that doesn't mean we won't miss her."

Aeriana looked to her friends, seeing the pain and hurt in their eyes. Her heart took a guilty plunge. She blamed herself, she should have recognized her dream as a vision and she should have told someone. Seeing her friends so miserable and knowing that one of them was trapped somewhere waiting to die was too much for her; she had to confess.

Aeriana took a painful deep breath. "It's my fault guys, I'm sorry."

The others looked to her with curious sad eyes. Even Ana stopped pacing to look at her blue haired sister, but her eyes were more determined then sad.

"I had this dream the other night…well I thought it was a dream, but I guess it was a vision…" Aeriana continued heavily, "But I should have told you guys…maybe we could have stopped Aurora from going."

The girls stared at her. Aeriana was excepting them to yell at her, she closed her eyes waiting for it. But she didn't hear anything. Instead she felt a pair of arms snake their way around her neck, and a body bring her into a tight hug. She opened her eyes, it was Kagome.

"It's not your fault, Ae. Don't even say that," she growled softly into her ear.

"There's no stopping Aurora when she wants something," Sango added, "This one's all her."

Aeriana hugged Kagome back, loving the comforted feeling. She felt better knowing that her friends didn't blame her, but she did feel guilty that she was here while Aurora was locked up and lonely somewhere. Hopefully they would get to see her tomorrow.

Kagome let go of Aeriana and pulled her over to the bed of soft cushions where Sango was still sitting by. Aeriana sat down next to her while Kagome also took her seat. Everyone looked up at Ana who had yet to say anything and had continued to pace the room.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked quietly, her eyes following her white haired 'sister'.

It looked like Ana was going to ignore her question as she continued pacing, but them said in a crisp, determined tone; "I'm thinking."

"About what exactly?" Aeriana asked warily.

"Not about anything risky that will get another one of us put to death, I hope," Sango added firmly.

Ana kept pacing, "I haven't come up with any anything yet, but when I do I'll let you know," she assured them, "but I can tell you that we're going to get Aurora out of that hole she's dug herself into…and no I can't guarantee that it we won't end up in the same place she's in as well."

Normally Sango would ague but not tonight, she was too tired and her heart was too heavy as was Kagome's and Aeriana's too. The girls left Ana to her pacing and master mind plotting, and fell asleep on top of each other and on Aurora's bed.

00000

Aeriana, Kagome and Sango all woke up the next morning to find Ana sound asleep on the hard stone floor She was curled up in one of the gold hangings that used to be on the wall. So much for her plan making.

The girls got up grudgingly, each aware that Aurora would be punished today. They were all so caught up in their own little worlds as they got ready for the day, that they almost forgot to wake Ana up.

After a bath in mournful silence and a tense breakfast, the 5 Vestal Virgins, which was including Cassandra, got dressed into their black dresses, specifically made for funerals or for sad, disastrous days. Luckily they rarely ever had to wear them except for the off days when some powerful senator or some other important person died…and except for today. Last they each slipped on two gold bangles on their right ankles and headed to the front door.

The PM was waiting for them by the main doors that led outside, when they were all ready and came down. She was already dressed in her black robes when they met up with her; the black unfortunately made her pale skin and pointing features stand out more.

The PM gave the group of girls a short nod before opening the large wooden doors and leading them outside.

It was a beautiful warm morning that met the gloomily mood the girls were in as they walked outside and into the courtyard.

The PM led the girls through the flourishing courtyard spread out before them. It was surrounded by three walls of the House of Vestal Virgins with the forth wall open and made of evenly spaced pillars. They passed flower beds, large plants, small statues, and a large fountain as well before they made their way under two large white pillars to their right, which were apart of 4 more pillars spread out next to those, creating two more archways you could walk under if leaving the courtyard and into the Forum, and also into the walkways that led to the heart of the Roman city.

The girls did not appreciate the warm Roman air as they followed their guardian. Such a beautiful day under such grim circumstances.

As soon as they girls broke free of the courtyard, they saw a large wooden wagon, a great solid black horse in front of it, and 4 guards, two of which were holding onto Aurora, who looked really tired and scared. She had on the traditional brown cloth dress that tied in the front on her chest, and her face wore nothing but fear and exhaustion, with heavy bags under her swollen eyes. When her friends saw her, their eyes moistened and their hearts fell heavy like they would shattered at any minute.

Aurora lifted her gaze from the ground as they approached. She looked at them with tear filled and ashamed eyes and whispered sincerely; "I'm so sorry." Her friends were taken back by how pitiful and defeated she sounded, they had never seen her this vulnerable before…but then again no one had ever been sentence to death in their group either.

Ana stared at her condemned friend for a moment with her own moist building up in her light blue eyes, before launching herself at Aurora, throwing her arms around the girl tightly. "_Venuto qui il mio amico _(come here my friend)," she said. "_Non ho conosciuto mai una ragazza più braver _(I have never known a braver girl)."

Aurora let her tears fall onto Ana's shoulder as she too wrapped her arms around her white haired friend.

Ana heard the PM's shrieks of disgust as this was going on, but she ignored them, determined to pass on her message.

"Get off that lowly whore, Anabella! You will be tainted!"

Ana continued to ignore her superior, not caring what she thought, because she doesn't just hug Aurora. She whispered in her ear; "I will find a way to get you out, I promise," and slipped into Aurora's robes a small sack of berries that she stole from the breakfast table earlier, before the PM pulled Ana off the condemned criminal.

"Do not touch her again!" the PM screamed, horrified, "Or you will have the same fate!"

Aurora nodded her gratitude toward Ana while Sango rolled her eyes, knowing that Ana would do something like that, and then before anyone else could do anything stupid, one of the guards gagged Aurora and slipped a brown sack over her head. Then together, two guards hoisted Aurora up and into the back of the wagon where she sat down, her hands still tied around her back. The two guards that lifted her up stayed in the back of the wagon with her and sat down also, making only two guards left. One of which walked to the front of the wagon and hopped up in the drivers seat and grabbed a hold of the black horse's reigns that would be pulling the cart. The remaining guard positioned himself to walk behind the wagon.

The 5 remaining Vestal Virgins and their guardian lined up behind the trailing guard, ready to make the trip with them to the "Evil Fields' were Aurora was to be buried alive along with all the other past sinful Virgins.

When everyone was ready, the guard in the front, steering, whipped the reigns and the great black horse lurched the wagon forward.

The walk there was silent except for the often creak and moan of the wagon's wheels, and the soft clinking of the bangles on each of their girls' feet. None of them said anything, they just quietly kept their place in line and followed obediently.

They passed through the Roman Forum where many people stopped to stare, and soon turned onto a long dirt road leading to the wasteland fields just ahead.

It was an eerie feeling as they passed over the road, nothing surrounded them, it was just dirt and nothing, not even a tree for at least a mile in every direction. The girls knew though that everything was not on the surface, but underneath their feet. For all they knew there could be 100 or more little cells under their feet with decaying women. It was a cruel fate for anyone, really.

The group continued to walk. Already up ahead they could see a man standing, waiting for them. Around him were a couple medium sized piles of dirt, a few shovels sticking out of the ground, and a large square looking thing made of what looked like sticks and straw off to the side.

As they got closer they saw that the man waiting for them was a priest, waiting with a frown on his face and a bible in his hands. The wagon came to a stop as it approached the man. The girls could now also see that a hole had been dug in front of them. It went about 12 feet down and inside was a little cellar made out of wood with a small cot pushed to one side and a bedside table next to it with a oil lamp on top of it.

When Aeriana saw this box, her heart stared pounding; so this was what her dream was trying to tell her? That Aurora was going to get caught with Alfonso, the fish boy, and buried alive in this little box? And why he disappeared in her second dream was because no on would catch him. She clenched her fists. If she just would have realized what it meant then she probably could have saved Aurora before it was too late…but it was such an outrageous dream, Aeriana didn't know what to make of it when she had it.

Kagome looked to her blue haired fiend and saw that she looked pained. She reached out and placed her hand on Aeriana's wrist, which seemed to calm her down a bit.

The guards in the back of the wagon that were sitting next to Aurora were now starting to lift her back out and onto the ground. Once they jumped down and the guard that had been driving and the one that had trailed behind were all together, they walked Aurora over to the hole and in front of a ladder that was leading down into it, and removed the bag over her head and the gag. Aurora immediately looked over into the ditch; her eyes got wide as she saw it and they started to water again.

The priest opened his book and started to read from it. Sango, Ana, Aeriana, and Kagome all ignored his voice and looked to Aurora whose back was now facing them, each of them feeling the grief that was taking over their hearts and weighing them down.

When the priest was almost done with his passages, one of the guards untied Aurora and motioned for her to go down into the hole. She hesitated before going down, but before the guards got impatient, she walked to the ladder, turned and stepped down. Aurora kept going down until her friends could no longer see her body, and then she raised her head to look them in the eyes, giving them one last pitiful look before completely emerging herself into the hole.

The priest's deep voice continued on his last passage while the remaining Vestal Virgins kept their heads down, staring at the ground, and their hands folded in front of them. "_Può il buon signore avere misericordia sulla vostra anima,__ed i vostri sins sono lavati via…" _(May the good lord have mercy on your soul, and may your sins be washed away.)

The four guards took the ladder away then lifted the large straw square that was to be the roof of the cell, and placed it over the box that Aurora was in. It fit perfectly and so then the guards started shoveling the excess dirt from the piles over the roof, burying the Vestal Virgin known as Aurora.

00000

"Damn. I still haven't come up with anything yet," Ana hissed.

Sango, Aeriana, and Kagome all sat down wearily on top of Aurora's bed as Ana paced the length of the room once again. They had all just got back from the burial and all pervious engagements for the day had been canceled due to the funeral this morning, they weren't even eating lunch or dinner that night because all the Vestal Virgins were to fast, by order of the PM for the loss they received.

"Well, what was that you slipped to Aurora, then?" Aeriana asked curiously with her blue/green eyes from her place on the cushions.

Ana winced, suddenly stopping. "You saw that, did you?"

Aeriana nodded taking a pillow and hugging it.

"Do you think the PM or anyone else who matters saw it?"

"Don't you think they would have done something if they did?" Sango pointed out.

"True." Ana pondered for a moment before saying; "I took some berries from breakfast and slipped them to Rory when I hugged her, but she's going to need water real soon so we'll have to get her some within the next few days."

"And how are we suppose to do that?" Sango asked, suspicious to where this was going.

"I slipped off one of the bangles on my ankle, if anyone noticed that I was missing one…" Ana stuck out her right foot to show her friends and sure enough there was only one gold piece of jewelry hanging on her ankle while the rest of them had two. "…I put it roughly around where Rory was buried and counted the paces it took to get there." She smirked and continued, "It should lead us at least close to the gold piece of jewelry and from there we'll just have to dug her up. I don't think we should go tonight though. Too risky, ya know?"

"I think that whole thing is risky," Sango disagreed.

"Well I'm in," Kagome piped in.

"Me too," Aeriana added, "I thought it was brilliant."

Sango sighed.

"Well that's all great and everything, but I still haven't come up with a way to get her out," Ana replied, starting to pace again, "Of course we can dig her up, but then what? Where would she go? There's the problem. I'm still working on it, but the least we can do is to keep her alive till then."

Ana, Kagome, and Aeriana all eyeballed Sango then. Finally the girl caved sighing and saying; "Alright. I guess I'm in too even though I think it's the craziest thing you've ever come up with Ana."

00000

For the rest of the day the girls went around doing their regular Virgin duties pretending to be gloomy and sad, which they were of course, but not as much now that they at least had the beginning of a plan. Now at least they had hope.

It was dark, the sun had just set, and the girls had just finished their evening duties and in Aurora's room talking quietly and being bored, when Ana rushed through the entryway into the room, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I can't do it!" she sobbed throwing her hands up, frustrated. "I can't think of anything!"

Sango, Aeriana, and Kagome all immediately stood up and went to their friend, surprised because this was the first time Ana had really cried over Aurora being sentence to death. Ana had been so sure of her self that she could figure out a way around all of it that she had not fully cried over the situation like everyone else had.

The girls hugged Ana, but she pushed them away, shaking her head and trying to wipe her tears away with her robes. "I promised Aurora I would find a way, but it's useless," she croaked, "Even if we managed to dig her up she has no where to go. If anyone were to see her and recognized her then it would be all over…she's going to die in that cell."

Ana collapsed on the floor right there, bringing her knees to her chest and hugging them, hot frustrated tears still coming. She buried her face in her arms.

Aeriana, Sango, and Kagome looked at each other, weighing down what Ana had just said. So there was no hope for Aurora, she was just going to die there underground like the rest of the past sinful Virgins?

Kagome walked up to Ana and kneeled down in front of her. She gently took the sides of Ana's head between her hands and lifted it up to face her. Ana's light blue, teary eyes met Kagome's strong brown ones.

"Listen to me, Ana," Kagome started, "Do not act like this is the end for Aurora because it's not. We'll all come up with a way to save her, I promise."

Ana sniffed and nodded. Kagome smiled and stood up, reaching out a hand for Ana who took it and stood up herself. Aeriana came to give Ana a hug and wiped the tears from under her eyes. Sango smiled warmly and reassuringly as she also gave her white haired sister a tight hug.

It was then that the girls heard something from outside Aurora's window. It sounded like the snapping of twigs. At first they thought it was just the wind or a animal of some kind, after all Aurora's window over looked the courtyard as did the other girls' windows, and it could have just been a rabbit eating the flowers or something. But upon hearing it again, and then a third time, the girls started to have their doubts.

Sango cautiously left the comfort of her friends and walked over closer to the window to peer out it. She jumped back in surprise and fear when a shadow appeared before her.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you…" the shadow came closer to the window and the light from inside illuminated their features. It was Alfonso.

"You!" all four girls exclaimed in surprise by the handsome boy's presence.

"What are you doing here?" Aeriana asked.

"Better yet, why are you even still _alive_?" Ana added suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at the man. She forgot all about why she had just broke down a second ago for the time being. What she really wanted to do was to pin the blame on Alfonso for Aurora's burial and everything else that had happened.

"Ana!" Kagome hissed, trying to convey to Ana how rude that was, but Ana just shrugged carelessly.

"No, she's right…" Alfonso agreed sadly, lowering his voice. "But I swear I didn't know. Aurora must have been caught on her way back here after I said goodbye because I only just found out this morning. Word travels pretty fast after something that big."

"Not fast enough apparently," Ana muttered. Kagome nudged her.

Alfonso's gray eyes looked sick with guilt and worry as he looked at them, ignoring Ana's comments. "I would have turned myself in, but then I thought that it wouldn't do much good if I was dead because who would save her then?"

"Us," Ana replied simply as if he was dumb, staring at him blankly.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at Ana's still rude behavior while Sango looked up at Alfonso to address him. "You mean you are planning on saving her too?"

"Well yeah, that's why I came here," Alfonso explained, eyes pleading, "I thought you could help me."

Ana went strangely quiet from the next rude thing she was about to say. She went deep into thought as she started pacing the room once again.

"We've actually been trying to figure out a plan as well," Aeriana explained, "So I guess this works out pretty good."

Ana stopped pacing for a second to walk over to the window. She got really close to Alfonso and looked him straight in the eyes. "Why?" she asked simply, but her voice was stern; she was daring him to lie.

"Why?" Alfonso asked in disbelief, surprised she would even ask that. "Well I don't know if you guys know or even understand, but I love Aurora and I would do anything for her. I'm especially not going to let her die."

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual," Ana muttered rolling her eyes as she turned and continued to pace thinking quietly to her self. She seemed pretty satisfied by Alfonso's answer.

The girls and Alfonso looked at her curiously, their eyes following her.

"Think of something?" Aeriana guessed.

Ana pondered for a moment before answering. "Yeah, I think so…" she thought for another moment or so, going over things in her mind, and then said; "Ok, Alfonso, are you willing to live the rest of your life with Aurora and protect her no matter what might happen after I tell you this?"

Alfonso nodded immediately, "Of course."

"Alright, then I need you to find out when the next large ship leaves…I don't care where, just get tickets to the one that leaves the soonest and get one for you and Aurora. Come back here when you got them and we'll dig her up…and don't worry, I know roughly around the place where's she buried," Ana explained. "Once we dig her up, you and her will get on that ship and leave together. Get her away from here because if anyone recognizes her then it's all over. Understand?"

Alfonso nodded, "I got it."

"That's pretty good Ana," Aeriana complimented. Ana smiled.

"See, we told you it would all pan out in the end," Kagome added.

"What if the ship doesn't leave for a long time?" Sango asked.

"Well just have to keep sneaking her food and water till then," Ana answered. "It'll be risky but I think this will actually work."

00000

After Alfonso left, Ana started hurriedly and quietly going from room to room and gabbing each of the girls' cloaks. She raced back into Aurora's room where the others still were and tossed them into their arms.

"I thought you said it was too risky to go tonight," Kagome pointed out.

"Well change of plans, we need to get her some water and some extra food," Ana replied, "We don't know when the next opportunity to do this will be."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Sango asked.

"No I'm not, but if it's going to help Aurora then I think it's worth it," Ana explained.

Aeriana come over to Sango and put her arm around her, comfortingly. "No one deserves to die like that just for loving someone," she reasoned.

"I don't care if she deserves it or not," Ana disagreed. "Aurora is my friend and she was put through seven years of Vestal Virgin crap just as well as us, and for what? No, she's not dying on us now. I won't let her bail and get off that easy."

Sango nodded, "I know. It's just I don't think I could bare it if another one of us were caught."

"It'll be ok," Kagome said, giving her a reassuring smile. "We'll get Aurora out, she'll go run off with dreamy fish hunk and have a family, and we'll sleep soundly knowing that we did that."

Sango nodded while Aeriana laughed quietly.

Ana looked from one friend to the other. "So are we all good?"

They nodded.

"Great. Then I need someone to help me steal some food from the kitchen and get a vase for the water…Ae would you come?"

Aeriana nodded.

"Alright then Sango and Kagome, I need you to stuff our beds and put covers over them so it looks like we're sleeping," Ana instructed, "Just in case someone decides to check on us."

After the beds had been made, the food collected, the vase found, two lamps taken, and a couple of shovels picked up, and the cloaks were securely over the girls' bodies, they jumped out of Aurora's window and into the night, their hearts pumping fast.

00000

The night was clear and the stars shown brightly over head, just like in Aeriana's dream…or vision. She almost had to laugh at the irony of it.

The streets and Roman Forum were empty as the girls snuck through it and to the public fountain in the center of the market place where Ana filled the vase she had brought. Once that was done, the girls made their way to the 'Evil Fields'.

Upon entering the fields on the dirt path, Ana stared counting their paces, her sandal clad feet making crunching voices on the rock and dirt below her. After 200 paces or so, Ana stopped, the other girls behind her.

"My gold bangle should be around here somewhere," she said.

Sango who had an oil lamp started walking around looking for the jewelry in the dark with her light, Aeriana who had the sack of food, Kagome with the shovels, and Ana with the vase of water right behind them.

"Are you sure you counted right, I don't see it," Kagome whispered into the dark, holding up the lamp and searching the ground with her eyes.

"Yeah I'm positive," Ana mumbled, starting to realize that maybe some kind of animal might have taken it. Her heart fell. This plan wouldn't work if they didn't find that bangle.

Just when Ana thought she was going to break down and cry again , she heard Kagome furiously whisper into the night, "Look, I found it!"

Sure enough, just ahead, a lone piece of gold glittered in the lamp light. Ana and the others smiled brightly and their heat rates picked up in excitement; it was such a rush doing something their weren't suppose too.

Sango set the lamp down so they could see, and Ana and Aeriana put their stuff down as well, Kagome passed out the shovels to each of them, and under Ana direction they started to dig a little ways from the bangle.

Every minute the girls got farther down, each helping with the same medium sized hole, until a _thump_ was heard. The girls looked at each other excitedly and quickly started moving away the extra dirt until they come to the patched roof. Ana mentally congratulated herself as she began stabbing at the roof, trying to make a hole in it.

Once they broke free of the sticks and straw into the hole, Ana bent down on her knees and put her face as close as she could without sinking in. "Aurora?" she whispered into the pit. It was dimly lit inside so that Ana didn't really need their lamp.

"Ana?" came feeble reply, "is that you?" Kagome, Sango, and Aeriana crowded around.

"Yeah, Rory, we're here," Ana answered, sighing in relief. She stuck her hand down into the hole, where after a minute she felt Aurora's hand take hold of and squeeze; she was standing on her bed to reach.

"We're here too," Aeriana called down, relief also relevant in her face.

Aurora was crying from happiness now. "I'm so glad you guys came for me," she sniffed.

"Well we couldn't let you rot in here now could we," Kagome replied.

Aurora was instantly silent, she let go of Ana's hand and whispered 'I'm sorry, for everything' to her.

Ana's heart melted. "Don't be sorry Rory, I would have done the same thing in your shoes. Who would want to give what you had right in front of you up."

"Yeah that's what we're here for, "Aeriana added, "To save your butt."

Aurora laughed for probably the first time in a while.

"We finally met your boyfriend properly," Sango informed her.

"Really," came Aurora's answer from her hole.

Ana nodded. "He came to the window and asked for our help in saving you," she explained.

Aurora gave a sad smile, "Oh he did, did he? How is he doing then?"

"Well, I'm just going to let you find out," Ana smirked. Aurora gave her a confused look so Ana continued to explain. "Ok the plan is that he's going to find ship tickets to get you both outta here. When he gets them he'll come to us, and then we'll come dig you up and you guys and run off and do whatever in your new town. We don't know how long it'll be until the next ship leaves thought so until then we're going to sneak you supplies."

Aurora smiled gratefully at them, her eyes watering with happiness and gratitude. "Thanks you guys, I have no idea what I'd do without you."

"Well for one, you'd die in this cell," Sango smirked.

"But your risking so much," Aurora sighed.

"Yeah but that's what we're here for," Kagome added.

"And we love you Rory. We don't want to see you die chasing your dreams, we want to see you thrive," Aeriana finished.

Ana nodded. "We always have your back, hon. And even though I was a bitch earlier, I realize that you both do love each other and the fact that Alfonso's willing to sacrifice and risk his life for you, is good enough for me."

"Thanks," Aurora whispered.

The girls then quickly handed down the vase full of water and the sack of food, before saying their goodbyes and patching up the roof as best as they could, refilling the hole, and then partially burying the gold bangle. And just in case the bangle was lost, they stuck a few small sticks in the ground as well. Not too noticeable for the wandering eye, but if you were really looking you could find it. After that was done, they made sure everything else was the was it was before they got there, and then took their shovels and lamp and headed back, relief and contentment settled in their hearts: Aurora was going to be ok after all.

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_Alright there you have it, the first installment! Hope you enjoyed and please review!_

_-shorty_


	3. Nightly Visitor

**Chapter 2: Nightly Vistors **

Disclaimer: We, Shorty and I, do not own the InuYasha characters I own Aeriana and Shorty own the rest of the OC's,Just so you know. 

(((Aurthor's notes at bottom)))

Recap:

"And we love you Rory. We don't want to see you die chasing your dreams, we want to see you thrive," Aeriana finished.

Ana nodded. "We always have your back, hon. And even though I was a bitch earlier, I realize that you both do love each other and the fact that Alfonso's willing to sacrifice and risk his life for you, is good enough for me."

"Thanks," Aurora whispered.

The girls then quickly handed down the vase full of water and the sack of food, before saying their goodbyes and patching up the roof as best as they could, refilling the hole, and then partially burying the gold bangle. And just in case the bangle was lost, they stuck a few small sticks in the ground as well. Not too noticeable for the wandering eye, but if you were really looking you could find it. After that was done, they made sure everything else was the was it was before they got there, and then took their shovels and lamp and headed back, relief and contentment settled in their hearts: Aurora was going to be ok after all.

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"...and please watch over my daughter and fiance' ." whispers Aeriana as she gets ready for bed and falls asleep as soon as her head reaches the pillow

_"Aeriana, Aeriana come to me." _

_"Hunh??" mutters Ae _

_"Aeriana, I am Hermes / Mercurey messenger of the gods _

_"Why are you here?"_

_"To tell you the way."_

_"Oh...then go right ahead." she states grumply _

_"To help your friends you all must fight your worst frears, and find the right persons to help you." _

_"Oh Joy." Ae sarcasticly remarks _

_"This is no time for sarcasm YOUR choices will change the world." _

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Five virgins call together powers of the Universe, one shall fall from Vestal grace, the others come from saviours, they all shall find their loves comtentment. For they are gooddess in their own right." he states as he leaves_

_"HERMES! GET BACK HERE!!" _

_"Look in the library scrolls." he whispers and disapears _

**That Morning **

"Library Scrolls..." Ana heard Ae mutter as she rushes past her in a gold, red, and blue hurry up something was up and she was getting to the bottom of this one. Usually you would never see Ae moving that fast or talking to herself wait scratch that last thought, and you wouldn't get knocked into by Ae without an apoligy.

Once inside the library Ae started at A in the morning and ended at Z the next day, as you can guess almost everyone was worried about Ae. All her friends knew of her insane love of scrolls and books but this was majorly demented. Ana, Sango, and Kagome were contomplating breaking down the door when Ae came out and went straight to the bathing area after an hour she runs back to the library.

"sigh The quiet one is having a breakdown." states Sango sadly

"Actually shes just problaly catching up on her reading." answers Kagome

"Lets go check in." suggest Ana with her eyebrows creased worriedly

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA FOUND IT !!!!"

raised eybrow and the rest of the girls rush into the library to see Ae holding a book smiling like a maniac.

"SO...what have you found?"

"The Book of Law, Magic, and Loopholes."

"For what?"

"Saving Aurora." states Ae happily "and ourselves." she whispers to herself

"Good work Ae!" Yells Ana as she grabs the book and looks in it "Wait its written in Greek not Roman! Only royals can read this!!"

"And I." Ae remarks as she grabs the book back


	4. First Impressions

_Hey! Here's next chapter!_

_-shorty_

**Recap:**

_"SO...what have you found?"_

_"The Book of Law, Magic, and Loopholes."_

_"For what?"_

_"Saving Aurora." states Ae happily "and ourselves." she whispers to herself_

_"Good work Ae!" Yells Ana as she grabs the book and looks in it "Wait its written in Greek not Roman! Only royals can read this!!"_

_"And I." Ae remarks as she grabs the book back_

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For the whole rest of the day and into the next morning, Ae had her nose stuck in that book. She only came out of her room, where she had isolated herself, for the meals and for her duties as a Vestal Virgin.

Of course the PM didn't notice that one of her Virgins was constantly absent for most of the day, and neither did Cassandra, nor did she care, but Kagome, Sango, and Ana certainly did.

"There is something seriously wrong with that child," Ana had remarked more than once, and every time Kagome was the one to reply back; "She's just trying to do all she can to help…that's all any of us can do at this point; help and hope it's worth something."

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"Common Ae," Sango replied walking past the blue haired girl's bedroom to get to hers, "the Prontifex Maximus says it's beautiful weather outside and wants all of us to go on a walk…"

As Sango passed Aeriana's room she only took a quick look at the girl as she walked passed. Sango thought she saw Ae laying in her stomach on top for her bed reading that book, so she did a double take. Sango stopped in her tracks and backed up until she was in front of Ae's doorway, and she stared at her friend. Sure enough, Aeriana was sprawled out on top for her bed, papers everywhere and her nose was in that loophole book again.

Sango sighed unbelievably, "Put that book down Aeriana, please…?" she begged, "it would be great for you to go outside-"

"Is she still trying to decode that book?"

Kagome's voice was heard coming closer. She appeared next to Sango in the doorway followed by Ana who had her eyebrows raised.

"Honestly, how many hours have you had your face in that damn book?" Ana asked. "Your starting to make me sick and I'm not even doing anything."

Ae sighed, frustrated and annoyed as she looked up from the large book to glare at her friends who were now curiously staring at her.

"I'm almost done, I promise," she assured them. "It's not as easy as it looks…well it is, reading it at least, but writing it down and putting it all together so that it makes sense takes a little time."

The girls stared blankly at their friend.

"Whatever," Ana shrugged, and turned to leave to get ready, "you're the smart one…"

Sango turned to leave as well but Kagome behind to say; "I know your trying your best babe, but you need to stop working your self to death, and get some fresh air."

Ae nodded.

"Just hurry up and get ready before the Prontifex Maximus comes looking for you."

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"Where is that girl?" the PM sighed impatiently.

Cassandra, the PM, Sango, Kagome, and Ana were all waiting by the main door that lead outside to the courtyard for the last Virgin; some more patient than others.

"Perhaps she had difficulties changing, ma'am," Ana suggested politely, trying to make sure Ae didn't get into too much trouble. "If you would allow me, I could go up and see what delays her-"

Before Ana could finish, Ae suddenly came hurriedly walking down the hallway to them.

"Forgive me ma'am for my lateness," Ae apologized quietly with her head bowed in respect when she approached the PM. "I could not find my shawl. It won't happen again."

The PM narrowed her eyes at Aeriana, scrutinizing her, before turning on her heels and leading the girls out onto the courtyard.

The day was breezy but the sun shone down upon the Roman priestesses creating the perfect combination of good weather.

The wind blew the plants in the courtyard, and ruffled the girls' shawls every which way around them, but the sun wormed their skin. The girls formed a perfect line behind the PM and followed her out of the courtyard. Today they were all wearing richly colored red robes that were wrapped around their impeccable bodies with only one shoulder covered in robes and the other limb left bare and which was decorated with a single silver bracelet on the upper arm. Around their heads sat a thin silver shawl that fell down to about mid back.

The walk up to the town square was peaceful and uneventful up until Sango lost her shawl to the wind.

They had only been walking about 20 minutes, and were almost to the town when the wind picked up suddenly. The girls all clung tightly to their shawls, but Sango's slipped out of her hands and the wind carried it up and away.

Sango groaned as the piece of material got away from her and she watched it as it floated over the small grass field they were passing at the time. No one seemed to notice since she was in back of the line.

"_Shit. If I hurry I can get it before anyone notices…"_ she thought as she quickly ran after it.

Just as the girl entered the grass, the PM turned around to see one of her Virgins taking off across the weeds. "Sango!" she screamed, but her voice was dulled by the roar of the wind. The rest of the Vestal Virgins turned and saw their sister running through the small field, racing the silver cloth in the sky.

Just across the same field were this was happening, a dark haired man, with his hands tied behind his back, was being led down a dirt path by 4 soldiers. The man had strikingly handsome features, dark eyes, and a head of black hair that was tied in a tiny ponytail at the base of his neck. The man's name was Miroku; tried for an attempt of adultery with a married woman, and sentenced to be hanged. Even though on his way to death, Miroku had a peaceful, serene sort of look to his face, not something you would expect from a condemned man.

The wind suddenly picked up, and Miroku took this time to take a deep breath and look around. It was too beautiful a day to be put to death, he thought as he looked ahead to were they were going and saw in the distance the place were he would die.

Something soft suddenly brushed against his leg, catching his attention and he looked down. A silver cloth of some kind rested against his leg, the wind trying to blow it through him. Before the material could fly off, Miroku stopped and bent down, turning his hands that were tied behind him around so that he could pick it up.

"_Wonder where this came from…?" _Suddenly something that stopped in front of him shielded the sun, causing a shadow to cover him.

Miroku looked up curiously, the cloth still in his hands to see a beautiful dark haired woman dressed in red looking down at him, her chest heaving slightly.

"Thank you so much…" she replied as he slowly stood and she took the shawl back.

"No problem," he replied in his most charming voice and gave her his most attractive smile. Usually all the woman he met with that smile would melt in his arms right then and there, but this girl just smiled pleasantly back at him.

Miroku's eyes flashed with confusion for a second but then went back to their usually confident look, and a habit he had had for a long time took over. Even though he was about to die, old habits die harder so just when he was about to open his mouth to ask the same question he asked every attractive young lady, an older woman followed by 5 girls, all dressed in the same thing as the woman in front of him, came quickly toward him and the soldiers.

Miroku smirked excitedly as the other 5 girls approached, each as equally beautiful as the other. Even though he was supposed to die, this was defiantly making his day.

The soldiers that had been escorting Miroku all dropped this heads in respect as they recognized the older woman, the 5 girls, and now the girl in front of Miroku.

"Good evening _Prontifex Maximus_," one of the soldiers replied.

The solider closest to Miroku pulled him back away from Sango, "Very sorry for the disturbance ma'am," he apologized.

Sango gave the solider a funny look. "Actually if it wasn't for this man I would have lost my shawl," she corrected the apology.

The PM rudely cleared her throat, cutting Sango off. "Thank you," she replied elegantly to the solider that had apologized as she eyed Sango sternly. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

While all this talk was going on Miroku's mind was whirling. _Prontifex Maximus…then that must mean…they're vestal virgins…_Miroku smirked; wow, this really was his lucky day.

Not another word was said to the sacred girls as the PM lead them away from the men. Sango lingered a moment to smile at Miroku before one of the beautiful virgins that had blue hair grabbed Sango's arm and encouraged her to follow. "Common Sango…" she muttered quietly.. The dark haired beauty gave Miroku one last look before returning with her group.

As soon as the girls had gone, one of the soldiers untied Miroku's hands. "Thank you gentlemen…" Miroku smirked, as they walked off mumbling curse words under their breath.

"Lucky son of a bitch…" one of them groaned, but the dark haired man wasn't paying attention anymore; he was far too busy thinking about the girl that he had just met. "_Sango, huh…?" _Just wait until he told the guys.

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"Alright do we have everything or what?"

"I don't know, wolf, you tell me."

"The hell if I know. You were the one that was suppose to be checking shit off as I put it in the bag!"

Both the men that were arguing suddenly stopped to stare each other down. The third, and oldest man in the room that had long silver hair and strikingly beautiful features rolled his eyes in disgust, "Will you both shut up." he growled.

"Well excuse me Sesshomaru, I don't see you getting your lazy ass over here and helping," one of the men that was arguing turned and snarled at the man named Sesshomaru. This man looked younger then Sesshomaru but had the same color hair and hazel eyes as his, but had a puppy dog face.

"Your right, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru countered with a tone of arrogance and authority, "Because I'm not the one planning a rescue mission and failing miserably at it."

Inuyasha's eyes darkened and he folded his arms, "Keh, whatever. Besides I'm not the one that screwing everything up…Koga's the one that can't count worth shit."

"Excuse me, dog breath," Koga blanched. He turned his head of thick black hair that was in a high ponytail to glare at Inuyasha.

Suddenly foot steps were heard down the hall and Inuyasha swallowed the response that he was going to throw back at Koga to see who was coming. All three men turned to see who the company was.

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, confused as the visitor appeared. "I thought you were being hanged. What are you going back?"

Miroku scratched the back of his head, smiling, "Gee thanks, Inuyasha," he replied sarcastically.

"Well are you going to tell us, or what?" Koga asked impatiently.

"Well I was on my way when a woman's shawl came blowing toward me and landed at my feet," he explained, "the woman came for it, and it turned out that she was one of the Vestal Virgins, so they had to let me go."

"They _had_ too?" Koga asked, raising an eyebrow.

Surprisingly, Sesshomaru was the one to answer. "Of course idiot. Vestal Virgins can free anyone if their paths cross."

Inuyasha smirked at the insult to Koga while Koga just glared at the oldest man.

"But she _was_ beautiful," Miroku sighed interjecting, and daydreaming already. "I would, of course, have asked her to bear my children if I hadn't been surrounded by guards at the time," he replied as a matter-of-factly. "It took all of my will power not too."

"What will power?" Inuyasha snorted.

"You better watch it lecher," Koga warned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Being perverted is what got you in to this mess in the first place."

"Yeah, if you hadn't have almost slept with the daughter of one of the Senate members and gotten caught so he could press charges, then you wouldn't have been put on your death bed, perv," Inuyasha added, rolling his eyes.

"If you think being hanged is bad just think of what they would do to someone who harassed a vestal virgin…" Koga trailed off with emphasis and both eyebrows raised.

"Probably cut off the family jewels," Inuyasha shrugged. "Or skin you alive…"

Miroku and Koga both shuddered. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes for the second time, "Pathetic…" he mumbled.

The other three men continued talking, not hearing the oldest. "Well I guess we went through all this trouble to get this crap for nothing then…" Koga replied motioning to all the different ropes, weapons and gear that was laying everywhere around them.

"Yeah…and what exactly were you doing?" Miroku questioned looking around.

"We told you we were going to get you, didn't we," Inuyasha said, snorting.

Miroku sighed unbelievably. "Inuyasha…my hanging was scheduled a half and hour ago…I would have already been dead," he explained staring at his friend.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "Fuck, no way! I thought it wasn't for another hour!"

Miroku shook his head.

"Nice going mutt face!" Koga yelled.

Inuyasha turned on Koga as soon as he said that. "What in the world are you going on about, wolf? You're the one who got the wrong information!"

"Did not, dog breath!"

"Jesus…can't count, or tell time…what the hell are you even good for."

"Shut up, mutt!"

"You shut up!"

"How about you _both _shut the hell up," Sesshomaru ordered, growling.

Miroku smirked. "So Sesshomaru…did you come to plan my rescue as well because obviously there's no way these two would be able to pull it off on their own."

Sesshomaru frowned. "Actually I just so happened to be walking into my house and found the half brother of mine and his fifthly friend plotting something, nothing more. I had no wish to help."

"I'm touched, really," Miroku replied sarcastically, putting a hand to his heart for extra effect.

"It's my house too, jerk!" Inuyasha growled over Miroku.

"Yes. Unfortunately," was the reply from Sesshomaru.

"Keh."

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"Well, that was certainly something different," Kagome mumbled when her and the girls got back to the house from their walk.

"Yeah but you gotta admit, that guy was pretty cute," Ana smirked leading the way toward their rooms.

Kagome smiled. "Is that all you think about?" she teased.

Ana shrugged. "Well a girl can dream about what she can't have, can't she?"

Aeriana rolled her eyes playfully at her friends as she went into her room to study that book some more. She was more then determined to get it finished, no matter what it took.

Now it was Kagome and Ana's turn to roll their eyes. "And all she can think about is that book," Kagome muttered, shaking her head.

"You going fry your brain," Ana warned Ae before her face disappeared behind her book.

Kagome then turned to Sango who hadn't said a thing the whole walk home. "You ok?" she asked.

Sango snapped out of the deep thoughts she was having to smile at Kagome and now Ana who were both looking curiously at her.

"Yeah I'm fine…just spacing out is all."

Ana shook her head turning to go into her room. "See what I mean Kags…? We all have to dream or daydream or whatever to keep ourselves busy because our lives are just that damn lame," she cried desperately.

Kagome gave her silver haired friend a disbelieving look. "_I think I might be the only sane one here…" _

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_Hope you liked it. Plz review! _

_-shorty_


	5. Aeriana

The House of Vestal Virgins

Chapter Four

We do NOT own any InuYasha Characters. There Don't sue.

"knock Ae, Ae?" asks Ana as she walks unto Ae's room but to her suprise she's not there.

"Ae! Ae this isn't funny come out." states Ana who was getting worried exspecially when she sees a note on her dresser; the note said:

_Dear Ana, Sango, and Kagome, _

_I have partially well fourthly devised a plan and I must go find some old old friends of mine, I grew up with them. _

_The part of the plan I devised is quite simple, really! In the book it states "OF a listed Virgin comes back forth from the grave, without any mortal help, that she is still pure in the eyes of Vesta and that the 'Virgin' and her lover shall be pardoned and sent a waway from Airletalion. Although I fond that loop hole I must say I didn't find away for us to get out of our service. My conclusion is that we must serve it out or run away."_

_A__eriana _

_ps, when done burn please! _

"Were do you think she went?" asks Kagome who also has a worried look on her face.

"I don't know what do you think Ana?"

'She wouldn't go there would she?Ae I hope you know what your doing. You go with my blessing." thought Ana

"No, I don't." whispers Ana as she holds the canle to the paper. They all watch as Ae's thin quick strokes go up in smoke.

WITH AE

I walk down the straight streets of Rome looking for the Pratician Senator Sesshomaru's house. 'I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it happen.' I think as I clutch my cloak tighter praying to Vesta that no one will recognize me. Finally after a while I spot the house I am looking for. I walk up to the gate and wait. I know that Sesshomaru wouldn't be home yet so I waited trying not to look visible or suspicious. 'Why didn't I ask Ana for help? Hm?'

WITH THE BOYS

"Sesshomaru who is that?" asks InuYasha

"Yeah who?" asks Mirpku and Koga

'I don't know.' thinks Sesshomaru "Hn."

As they draw closer the persin turns around and walks up to Sesshomaru.

"Who are you to approach this Sesshomaru?" demands Sesshomaru

"Sigh Sesshomaru this is not the place can we go in?"

"...Ae, Aeriana..," whispers Sesshomaru, "Uh Yes...lets go..."

Once inside Ae, Sesshomaru, Miroku, InuYasha, and Koga sat down

"Okay I have to ask this Who the Hell are you?"

"InuYasha as brunt as ever it seems." chuckles Ae as she takes off her hood

"Your Ae...cathud" whispers InuYasha as he falls into a faint

"Your a..."  
"Yes Miroku I am a Vestal Virgin, unwillingly though, my name is Aeriana or Ae for short. We need all your guy's help."

"How do you know Sesshomaru."

"At one time I was his fianc'e."


	6. Seeing You Again

OF COURSE WE DON'T OWN INUYASHA AND PEOPLE.

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Recap:

_Once inside Ae, Sesshomaru, Miroku, InuYasha, and Koga sat down_

_"Okay I have to ask this Who the Hell are you?"_

_"InuYasha as brunt as ever it seems." chuckles Ae as she takes off her hood_

_"Your Ae...cathud" whispers InuYasha as he falls into a faint_

_"Your a..."   
"Yes Miroku I am a Vestal Virgin, unwillingly though, my name is Aeriana or Ae for short. We need all your guy's help."_

_"How do you know Sesshomaru."_

_"At one time I was his fiancée."_

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**Chapter 5: Seeing You Again **

"You're engaged to a _Vestal Virgin_?" Miroku's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Is that even legal?" Koga asked.

Aeriana nodded. "As long as I say away from him, don't see him, or have any contact with him."

Inuyasha snorted. "Well, that's out the window…"

"We're arranged to be married after my service since I was first emitted," Ae continued, ignoring Inuyasha's comment. She waited for a minute, making sure they weren't going to ask anymore questions before she switched the subject to what she really came here for.

"Anyway, we need your help," she confessed again looking directly at Sesshomaru. "And trust me, if there were any other way I wouldn't be here bothering you."

"Who's 'we'?" Inuyasha interrupted.

"The rest of the Vestal Virgins and I," Ae simply answered. "Which means Ana too if you remember her."

Inuyasha wracked his brain for something on a girl named 'Ana'. It didn't take long for him to start remembering the little trouble-making blue-eyed girl he used to play with as a child. _That's right, she did become a Vestal along with Ae. That's why I haven't seen her in years._

Sesshomaru was waiting for Ae to continue; he was curious to the reason why she had risked so much to come here. But before Ae could say anything else, Miroku interrupted next, reaching over to obviously try to take the blue haired girl's hand. He grinned widely at her.

"So you need a favor…and it just so happens that I need one too, so it looks like we might just be able to help each other out –"

A low warning growl came from Sesshomaru's direction, cutting Miroku off. Koga smacked his wandering hand away. "Didn't we talk about this before…? You can't touch her, she's a Vestal Virgin remember?" As an after thought he muttered; "…Perv…"

Miroku reluctantly drew back his hand but not because he was listening to Koga, but because Sesshomaru was really starting to intimidate him.

"So why do you need us?" Inuyasha asked impatiently, trying to get back on track to speed things up.

After recovering from Miroku's confrontation, Ae sat up to start explaining herself. "Well, you guys heard about one of our sisters' death sentence, right?"

The guys nodded. "That got around to the whole of Rome within like an hour," one of them replied.

"Well that was Aurora, a good friend, and we want to get her back," Ae explained. "We've already come up with a plan which is to wait until her boyfriend can get ship tickets out of Rome, and then we've got to dig her up so she can leave. As of right now we've been sneaking her food until it's time to get her." Ae sighed; "We need your help digging her up and getting her out."

"But why can't you do that?" Koga asked.

Ae paused for a minute to collect her thoughts, trying to figure out the best way to explain the rest. "I've found a book that explains that Rory can be pardoned from her sins if she escapes with the help of immortal beings."

"Like the gods?" Koga asked, a bit skeptical.

"I was thinking something a little different could work also," she answered, looking intensely at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. "I know you two are descendents from of a passed god and a human, and even though it's little, you still have immortal blood running through you. I think it'll be enough. With your help, Vesta should pardon Rory instead of smite her if she escapes."

Inuyasha nodded showing he was following while Sesshomaru remained as impassive as ever.

Miroku on the other hand, looked completely interested. "I have come across that somewhere in my studies also," he replied seriously, all traces of immaturity out the window.

"And what kind of studies would that be?" Ae asked curiously, wondering how he could know even a little on that subject.

"I am a Roman priest and my studies consist of things that have to do with the gods, or any thing else spiritual," he answered.

Ae stared at him completely shocked. "You're a priest?" she asked. It was then that she also noticed he was wearing a long priest type robe. _Could have fooled me. He defiantly doesn't act like a priest._

"Unbelievable, I know," Inuyasha muttered.

Miroku just choose to ignore all the comments and nod.

"What about me?" Koga asked, a bit annoyed and feeling left out. "One of my ancestors was a goddess."

"Perfect. Then you and Miroku would both work," Ae said. "It's better then mortal blood so your help will be much appreciated."

It was quiet while the guys thought over what Ae had proposed; they all knew the consequences if they agreed to help. First they would be acquainting themselves with not one, but eventually 4 Vestal Virgins, and then be helping the 5th sinful one escape. The whole situation screamed painful consequences if they were caught.

Ae sighed when she saw that they were having a hard time answering. "Look, I know I'm asking a lot…I mean I haven't seen you, Sesshomaru or Inuyasha, in how many years? And I only just met Koga and Miroku…not to mention what would happen to all of you if you were caught…but it would mean the world to all of us girls if you could help us save Aurora. She's our sister and it's unfair that she should die over some emotion she had no control over."

She then looked them over each slowly with her blue/green eyes. "I know you realize the consequences, but you guys will make our plan perfect if you agree." Aeriana waited patiently after that; she didn't want to push them.

"I guess I'm in."

Ae and the three guys turned to stare at Koga who in turn shrugged. "Well, there's really nothing else to do around here," he answered, waving it off like nothing.

Miroku sighed in response to Koga answer. "Yeah, your right, Koga. And besides, I can't bear the idea of a beautiful servant of any Goddess being left to die of loneliness and starvation," he replied mournfully.

Inuyasha snorted. "If you two idiots are going, then so am I. You'll get no where without me."

It was Koga's turn to laugh this time. "As if, dog breath."

As Koga and Inuyasha continued bickering back and forth, Ae turned her head to look at Sesshomaru, expecting some kind of answer from him as well. What she got though was something she didn't expect.

The older silver haired man stood up. "Aeriana, I would like to speak with you in private."

Ae noticed that it sounded more like a demand then a question but she found herself nodding anyway and following him out of the room and into a slightly smaller one. Inuyasha, Koga, and Miroku almost didn't even see them leave.

Ae silently wondered why Sesshomaru couldn't say what he wanted to in front of the others? Did it have to be in private?

She put a hand to her chest to find that her heart was pounding. Why was she so nervous? Sesshomaru closed the door behind her with a soft _thud_. Oh yeah, because she was alone in a room with a man, her future fiancé to be exact, which also happened to be the biggest rule you could break as a Vestal Virgin, and because of all the other rules she was breaking on top of that. Or, _already broke_.

Ae took a minute to calm her self down a bit by taking in her surroundings instead of panicking over things that had already been done. She observed that she was in a slightly smaller room then the gathering room she had just been in a moment ago. It looked like a guest bedroom by the way an array of blankets had been perfectly laid out across a soft looking mattress on top of a flat piece of marble that was against the far side of the room. And just by the way the curtains fell around the open window, the flat rugs lay across the floor, and the beautiful vases decorated the area, Ae could tell that the room was barely ever touched, therefore suggesting a guest room.

Sesshomaru turned to her after closing the door behind her. Ae also turned her attention to Sesshomaru, looking not as comfortable as he looked though. In fact, Ae felt quiet the opposite. To avoid any more awkwardness she replied; "I know this isn't your type of thing, I mean you are a senate member, but could you just do it for me…cause all be hell to live with if not."

She could have imagined it, but Ae thought she saw a hint of a smirk play across Sesshomaru's lips. Before she could fully distinguish though, he started walking slow circles around her. "I could just turn you in," he replied casually.

Ae gulped. She didn't like the beginning of this. A little time passes before Sesshomaru spoke again, but he continued to walk around her, testing her with his golden eyes. "You do realize the consequences for you as well?"

Ae nodded, following him with her own eyes as he passed in front of her. "All of the girls do."

Sesshomaru left her answer hanging as he finally stopped after one more lap, a couple feet in front of her. He then took the time to look his fiancée over. Ae also got a chance to give Sesshomaru a good look over. The senate member had changed a lot since she had last seen him. How long had it been? Their families had been good friends, still are as far as she knew. Ana's family also had been a good friend of both Ae's and Sesshomaru's and that's why she probably knew where Ae was right now. All four of them used to play together as kids, and back then was also when Ae and Sesshomaru's parents made the decision for them to get married when they were older, in order to unite the families.

As both Ae and Sesshomaru continued to look each other over, Ae noticed just how much Sesshomaru had changed. He wasn't just a little kid anymore, he was defiantly taller, pretty much towering over Ae, his beautiful silver hair had grown longer, he had became firmer in the arms and broader in the chest it looked like, and only if you were blind would you not see how good looking he had become. She even had to admit Sesshomaru's brother, Inuyasha, had gown up nicely as well. _Just wait till I tell Ana, she would have love to see these two now…_

Ae started to feel uncomfortable again as the silence loomed over them and he continued to stare at her, almost as if he had never seen her before. This look is what was starting to make the blue haired girl feel awkward. She cleared her throat, trying to think of something to say. "So, how are things?" she asked lightly.

"Fine," he answered. "And you?"

Ae shrugged. "Well, not so well lately, obviously." Ae mentally groaned in her head. Why was it so hard to talk to him now? To her that whole conversation that just happened seemed forced.

Suddenly Sesshomaru started to inch his way closer, and still staring at her, drinking in her appearance.

"How long has it been since I last saw you?" he wondered aloud to her flatly.

Ae shrugged, which to her felt like the only thing she could do as he got closer and her knees embarrassingly started to feel weak; his nearness was starting to make her feel nervous. "I don't know…6 years?"

Sesshomaru neither acknowledge nor cared for her obvious uncomfort and just continued to look at her, not saying anything.

Suddenly Ae found herself wondering that if in that span of time Sesshomaru had been with any other women? Even though he was engaged he was still a man who had to wait for his wife for many years and it wasn't like seeing other women was illegal or frowned upon by anyone but her. He knew she was obviously a virgin, but now she wondered if he was too? _Probably not…_she found herself sighing angrily in her head…_Somebody who looks like him? No way. _

The feeling of Sesshomaru's hand touching the smooth skin on her face is what brought Ae out of her thoughts. Now she felt her personal bubble pop and felt extremely exposed but she had no idea why. This _was_ her future husband. Maybe it was because she had never been touched by a man this good looking before…or even a man at all?

Yeah, cause she wasn't supposed too.

Ae suddenly became a little irritated by Sesshomaru's lack of respect for rules. "Don't touch me," she said stepping away, "you know you can't."

Sesshomaru put a strong hand around her arm and squeezed, keeping her in place. "Why? You do belong to me, correct?"

"Right now I belong to Vesta," Ae countered, glaring at him.

"I have immortal blood running through me…there's not much she can do."

Ae was appalled. How could Sesshomaru stand there and insult a goddess like that, and in such a nonchalant tone too?

"I have to go," Ae replied suddenly, squirming out of Sesshomaru's grip and moving away, "before the _Prontifex Maximus_ realizes I'm gone. Then we're all busted."

Sesshomaru took step away not showing any emotion at all on his face, which Ae realized, was really starting to get on her nerves. She turned her back on him and headed toward the door out of the guest bedroom.

"I never agreed to help you, Aeriana," Sesshomaru reminded her.

Ae stopped, took a deep breath, and sighed, trying not to get too frustrated. "I guess I'll be waiting for your answer then." She pushed open the door and stepped out of the room. _And to think that I pray for him every night…_

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"What do you think they're doing in there?" Koga wondered aloud, "catching up on all the wasted years?"

Inuyasha made a disgusted face towards the man as he picked up on the suggestion in his voice. Miroku on the other hand, leaned back in his chair and started talking.

"Now Koga, you know Sesshomaru can't touch her even if they are engaged, and he knows that too and he's not one to break too many rules," he lectured wisely. "The Vestal Virgin priestess are to remain untouched to many man until they are released from Vesta's service or you will anger the goddess herself."

Koga rolled his eyes. "You just tried 5 minutes ago Miroku."

"Yes, but unlike all of you, I am a priest and therefore I am in the gods' good graces. I am also holy - "

Inuyasha took the time to whack him on the head when he couldn't take it anymore. "You're not an exception," he replied gruffly. "You don't even act like a priest 95 of the time, perv."

Miroku sighed desperately. "My body acts all on it's own sometimes. It's hardly my fault."

"Spare me," Koga mumbled, rolling his eyes again.

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"Kagome sit down, she'll be ok," Ana assured the black haired girl who she was trying to sooth at the moment.

Said girl stopped mid stride to stare down at Ana and the cushions she was currently sitting on. "She's gonna get caught and this is going to turn into another Aurora outcome."

"As long as she's here for the evening cleansing of Vesta's Temple, the _Prontifex Maximus_ won't even notice she's gone," Sango reasoned as her eyes followed Kagome who continued her pacing.

"Yeah that's at sundown, and look…the sun's almost starting to go down!" Kagome motioned out the window to her right. Sure enough behind all the trees and plants in the court yard the sky was starting to turn beautiful shades of pink, red and orange, and long shadows were beginning to shape their way into the room.

"Will you just please calm down," Ana asked her friend desperately, "your making me dizzy." She started to rub her temples gently; she already had a headache from earlier when she had thought to hard about why Ae would go see their old friends without her; she had never been one that liked to be left out from the action. _I know that's where she went…Inuyasha and Sesshomaru have some immortal blood and that's what we need to help us…but she still could have asked me to come with her…maybe she didn't ask because she wanted to talk to Sesshomaru alone? That would make sense…_

As Ana continued rubbing and trying to figure things out, something moved outside the window unnoticed, and suddenly a hooded figure jumped into the room, startling the girls and stopping them from whatever they were doing.

The person pushed her hood down to reveal Ae's blue hair and pretty face. "Hey guys," she greeted guiltily, knowing some sort of yelling or arguing was about to begin.

First though, came the hugging. Ae opened her eyes to find Kagome wrapping her arms around her. "Oh my gosh I was so worried," she complained, "the sun was almost starting to come down, you still weren't here and we had no idea were the heck you went." Kagome let go of Ae to step back and stare her down with her hands on her hips. "What kind of note is '_I must go find some old friends of mine'_?"

Ae smiled weakly. "I know you guys, I'm sorry," she apologized to them. "I thought it would be better if I just left cause I knew you would either try to stop me or come with me, and I didn't need either."

Ana waited for her to finish her sentence but cut in before Kagome could say any more; even though she was upset about begin left behind, curiosity on what went down seemed to outweigh the previous emotion.

"So what did they say?"

"What did _who_ say?" Sango wanted to know. "Who are these so called 'friends'?"

Ana and Ae both ignored her. "They all wanted to help but Sesshomaru," Ae answered, "he never agreed or disagreed."

Ana rolled her eyes. "Of course he would be the one to be difficult."

"Sesshomaru? Isn't that your childhood playmate?" Kagome spoke up.

"So when are we going to know his answer cause we're gonna need his help too," Ana asked, too caught up in her and Ae's conversation to hear Kagome either.

Ae shrugged.

"Well you know he will. He just likes to act all tough and mysterious- "

"Do you guys care that we have no idea what's going on?" Kagome interrupted, getting sick of Sango and her being ignored.

Ae and Ana suddenly seemed to break out of their bubble and noticed that their other two sisters were still there. "Oh, your right, sorry guys," Ae grinned. "Yeah, Sesshomaru is my best friend from childhood and I went to go see him and his little brother to help us save Aurora."

"And how would that help?" Sango asked.

Ana answered this time. "Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are descendants of a god and a human, meaning that they have some immortal blood running through them," she explained. "As Ae said in her note, we need them to save Aurora from being punished by Vesta."

"So I was thinking that once Alfonso gets the tickets, he could tell us the day the ship is leaving, we could inform the guys ahead of time then meet them the night before to show them where Rory is being kept," Ae explained herself.

Ana smiled at her blue haired sister. "Not bad, Ae," she praised, walking over to her and playfully nudging her. Kagome nodded in agreement.

Sango on the other hand couldn't believe her ears. "I can not believe you went to go see them."

_Good thing I left out the part when Sesshomaru and I were alone in a room together…_ "Oh, well it wasn't just Sesshomaru and Inuyasha either…" Ae confessed. Ana gave her a confused look. Were there more brothers she didn't know about?

"…They had two other friends with them who agreed to help. One was a priest, the one we saved yesterday, and another guy. The priest is holy so I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if we had his help, and the other guy claims he had a goddess as an ancestor as well," Ae finished.

"Great," Sango sighed sarcastically, "you went to see four _guys_…_alone_." She shook her head; "You're becoming more of a mix between Ana and Aurora everyday."

"Common Sango," Kagome smiled reassuringly, "what's done is done, and if this works then we'll be saving Aurora in two ways."

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Ana quietly walked out of her room, pulling her robe around her tighter to her body trying to block out the night chill. She made her way down the hall a little ways, the only sound being her bare feet padding across the floor, until finally she made it to the room she was looking for. Ana lightly rapped her knuckles against the doorframe. She looked through the almost transparent curtain that had been draped across the doorframe to see the shape of a girl lying on the floor and the blurry outline of a little yellow light.

Ana didn't wait for an answer, instead she pulled the curtain aside and stepped into the room.

Aeriana was lying on her stomach on top of her cushioned bed, looking at her loop hole book, with a small candle sitting in a holder next to her.

"You have got to be kidding me," Ana said, arching an eyebrow at her friend on the floor.

Ae looked up. "Chill, I'm just looking over some things." She turned her attention back to her book. "So, did you just come into my room in the middle of the night to make fun of me, or did you actually have a purpose?"

Ana smiled at her joking tone and went to sit on Ae's bed next to her. "Actually I did have a purpose: I wanted to talk about that little stunt you pulled earlier."

Ae gave her a wary look, all joking gone. "I know your not here to lecture me…right?"

Ana shook her head, almost looking appalled. "Of course not! I thought it was a stupid thing to do, but brave and something I defiantly would have done…_if I had been invited or even informed_…"

Ae started to giver her a guilty look but Ana shook her head again. "I'm kidding Ae, it's ok. I just came to talk about Sesshomaru and Inuyasha," she smiled warmly. "So how are they? How long as it even been?"

Ae smiled in return and started to sit up, she was happy to share the little details of her adventure. "I think it's been like, maybe 6 years, and lets just say that time has been very good to those two." Ae added by giving Ana a meaningful look.

"That good, huh?"

Ae nodded. "They both have gown up so much since you've last seen them, Ana. It's unbelievable."

Ana smiled impatiently. "So what do they look like?"

Ae thought for a moment, thinking of the best way to describe them. "Well, Sesshomaru is defiantly taller, his hair is longer and absolutely gorgeous, and his golden eyes are exactly as I remember them," she explained. "Inuyasha is almost a spitting image of his older brother, but he's handsome in his own way, I can't really explain it."

Ana suddenly went into visual mode inside her head. She pictured two gown men, one a little taller then the other, but with the same flowing sliver hair and piercing golden eyes. Ana was disappointed though, she could feel that her mental images weren't doing the little boys she had once known justice.

"They still dislike each other," Ae continued smiling, "and I didn't talk to Inuyasha much, but I do know that Sesshomaru has become a pretty powerful member of the Senate. You can tell by his house."

Ana tried to picture that also, but found that she couldn't, so instead she asked; "Did Sesshomaru mention any thing about your wedding…"

Ae shook her head, "Nope…" Which wasn't a total lie but not exactly the truth either. Ae decided to leave out the part when they were in a room alone together and he started to get a little touchy. Even if it was Ana she was talking too, Ae felt that if she told, her white haired sister would still have a lot to say on the matter, and to be honest Ae really didn't want to hear it; she was already confused on the matter as it was.

Ana's sighing broke Ae out of her thoughts. "I wish I could see them. It's been so long, and I'm trying to imagine what they look like now, but it's not going that well…"

Ae placed a hand over Ana's and smiled warmly. "I'm sure you'll get to see them soon. For one, most of them promised to help with Aurora, and second, I still need an answer from Sesshomaru, remember?"

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---Sincerely, Shorty and Arian


End file.
